Memoirs of a Sniper of the Imperial Guard
by Wardude86
Summary: The epic story of a Imperial Guard Veteran as he ventures across the galaxy with several different Outfits and Organizations, while his only wish is to retire and go home to his wife and kid. I suck at Summaries... Rated M for Violence and language
1. Chapter 1

My Name is Gregory Urchif, I'm an Imperial Guardsman of the Valhalla 281st, my rank and serial number is Corprol 138364891676, but none of that really matters. I'm currently sitting here in a tree, waiting for the slightest chance for an important target to make an appearance, but no enemy is in sight, none what so ever. So I sit here in the freezing cold with only a peice of paper, a pen, a blanket, and a bottle of Vodka to keep me company. I'm here in this frozen wasteland wishing i could go home, to another frozen wasteland, but that wasteland, is my home, with a wife and kid waiting there. So I write a letter to my family while waiting for the enemy, what else does this marksman do when there is nothing to shoot. They give me a sniper rifle 7 years ago when my company's last sniper died, and I've lasted these long 6 years on this Ork infested shit-hole, with Commissar breathing down my neck and a company of 60 men to watch over, literaly. I just want to go home, it's not my falt I'm the best damn soldier in this part of the galaxy.

Wait hold that thought... there's something moving by that ridge, no one is scheduled to partrol there for at least another 3 hours...

I stash away my letter and pen into my inner coat pocket and stash my drink into crevice in tree. I shoulder my rifle and peer down the scope. Orks, and it looks to be a small squad of about 10 shoota-boyz, most likely a scouting party or their just lost. Either way I could care less, they've walked into my woods, and they have to pay the toll for passage.

BOOM!

the first round fired hit the largest in the group, heh, now to keep still while they figure amongst themselves who's the strongest. "Heh, stupid animals, it's like hunting a pack of feral dogs," I said to myself, as I looked down my scope once again, and saw that one of them had won the brawl for control, and squeezed the trigger.

BOOM!

Damn the kick on this thing is terrible... and it's loud. "Brain salad, my favorite," I chuckled to myself, maybe this was the only thing that kept me going was this sick and twisted humor that I found in the pain of others, or it's just the alcohol mixed with gasoline talking to me.

Boom!

Now they were getting the idea that they were being shot at. The had taken cover behind anything large enough to cover their large muscular forms, which wasn't very well to begin with

Boom! Boom!

Never again, my should is about to fall off now! I reloaded my weapon and then my radio sparked to life and nearly blew my left ear to hell.

"Emergency Broad cast on all Imperial Broadcasting Channels! This is Outpost Gamma! I'm Force Command Shall of the Imperial Space Marines Iron Fists! The enemy has Has just comenced an all out WAAGH!!!!" the radio cut silent with after a second of scream, yells and gun fire. I looked down my scope to see the Orks that i had been fireing upon were running away, or running to join their comrades.

"Damn Orks," I said as my radio sparked to life as my Commissar barked order's over my Regiment's radio frequency.

"All guardsmen of the 281st, report back to base, that's right all 500 of you report back to Outpost Delta." I sighed as i slung my sniper rifle over my shoulder and climbed down my perchin the tree and started trudging through the forest before I realized, I left my drink in the tree!

I cursed but decided to trug on, it was better that I wasn't late, or the Commissar would make me an example of disciplinary action. It took me almost an hour to get to base, well most people wouldn't call it a base, actually they'd call it an over-sized snow-fort that a bunch of kids with to much time on their hands made. That was far from the truth, we Valhallan Ice Warriors are the best at making defense with snow and ice, this fortress has survived many a waves of enemy attacks, and has never fallen.  
I Came up to the main gate and the two guardsmen that were on watch nodded to me as I walked up. "It is good to see you're still alive comrade Urchif, you usually spend days out their in the wilderness with only a blanket and the clothing on your back," laughed the senior of the two, the man was Vladimir Gruin, a veteran of the Valhallan Defense force when the Orks last attacked our home-world.

"That is a story for another time, I need to show up for parade, i don't want to anger the Commissar," I laughed back, I eyed the younger Guardsman, he looked to be about 16, I was about that age when I first joined the Guard, most Valhallan boys do around that age.

"Right right, I'll let you in, but it's your turn to buy the drinks for when we go on leave next summer," laughed Guardsman Gruin as he opened the gate.

"Sure, after the welcome home party the family back home gives us!" I chuckled as I walked through the gate. I walked into the main square and saw that it was very crowded with Tanks, Artillery crews and soldiers flustering about, I had to actually ask directions to were my company was gathered at. The other 59 men of my Company looked up as I entered the barracks, they all looked sad and anguished, like they had been ordered to stand in front of the firing line and then I heard the crunching of boot on snow right behind me, I was afraid to turn around, but did so and stood at attention.

"So Comrade Urchif Has decided to join us?" said the Regimental Commissar as he inspected me, "next time you won't be so lucky, you'll be disciplined after we retake Outpost Gamma From the Orks, you're company is the spear head, now I want you ready for the assault in 0200 hours, do you understand me!?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Alright comrades, we're almost to the rally point," said the tank crew commander to the rest of us in the back of the Chimera Armored Personal Carrier. I dreaded the fact it was my fault that we were to be in the front of the battle lines. Our mission: to retake outpost Gamma, and secure the bodies of the fallen members of the Iron Fists. Seemed simple enough, if it weren't for the fact that the enemy could easily tear my entire company limb from limb with their bare hands.

Damn it all, why'd it have to be us, the human race, who are the most weak and frail in the galaxy, the Emperor has a sick sense of humor sometimes. Well I better not question orders, don't want to get caught thinking Hersey by the Inquisition, getting shot in the head by the Commissar would be a luxury compared to the torture those Fanatics would run you through. Please, Almighty Emperor let me live to see my Wife and kid at least one more time.

Then I felt my stomach drop as I heard the thundering of artillery shells flying over head and impacting on what I hoped was the enemy. I gripped my Auto-Bolt Pistol and felt my knees shake, they always did this before I went into battle. The Battle field is by far the most terrifying place to be, I prefer the wilderness, were I am the hunter, stalking my prey. On the battle field I felt like a mouse charging a bull, but they say a thousand of mice charging a bull, will frighten it and cause it to flee.

Against Orks, that is bullshit! You have to outsmart them, you have to lure them into your game, not blindly charge into theirs. If they made us Snipers into Generals, I think the Orks would only exist in the analogs of history. There I go again, thinking like a Heretic.

Then the Chimera stopped, I then felt the whole APC shutter as the Multi-Laser turret charged and fired, that was our cue, the Guardsman at the rear door opened the rear hatch and I was the first one out after him, "Veterans first", as the saying goes. I turned around the Chimera's tracks just to see a yellow rocket impact the side of the tank.

The next thing I knew I was on the ground looking up at the sky, the snow was falling, it looked so beautiful. I felt as if the battle was no longer going on, as if I had truly died and gone to a paradise, but someone had to ruin it by bending over me and shook me back to reality.

"Come on Soldier! You look fine, you got to keep moving forward!!" he yelled as he helped me back up on to my feet. That was when I felt the pain surge through my leg, I looked down and saw a piece of shrapnel hand embedded itself in to my calf. I stumbled before recollecting my self, if I can stand I can fight, if I can limp, I can charge.

The Soldier who had helped me gave me the thumbs up, and I replied in turn, and then we charged, the Emperor's "Sledgehammer" was now moving forward to crush his enemies. We reached a snow drift about 50 meters from the fortress that was once Outpost Gamma, the Ork Shoota and Slugga boyz were fighting hard, but, we fought better. I let out a war cry as I rose from my cover to start firing my Auto-bolt pistol. The others around me did the same, firing their Laz-guns and bolter pistols alike firing as we led an all out charge up to the fortress. The Orks had made make shift barricades from the remains of their dead allies and the dead Space Marines of the Iron Fist. Many of my comrades had died on the way up that hill to the barricades and the now demolished walls of the Fortress, but we were determined to achieve victory in the name of the Emperor.

The battle within the fortress was long and hard fought, but I kept getting the feeling that something was wrong within those frozen walls. There were not enough Orks, there should have been more, there was no way that 20 shoota boyz and 60 slugga boyz could have taken out the 20 space marines that were stationed here. After the last Ork died by a single shot to the head from my Auto-bolt pistol, I looked around to my brethren I could only see 20 fellows of my Company out of the 200 men there.

It wasn't long before the Commissar rode into the outpost on top of a Leman Russ, he then barked over the comm, "Alright comrades You've won this skirmish but the battle is far from over," He paused as he now had the Regiment's Attention, "D and F companies, your orders are to gather as many of the Astartes bodies as you can, I don't care how heavy they are, just do it!"

There were a series of "Yes Sir's", as about 80 men started scrambling around trying to find and move the iron clad bodies of the dead Space Marines into the back of several Chimeras.

"The Rest of you are to Set up the Defenses, I don't care if you have to rig a Heavy bolter to the body of a dead Ork, I want the barricades up and running now!" Finished the Commissar as the rest of us ran up to the demolished walls of the outpost and quickly went to work. My company was in charge of setting up the defenses on the northern side of the outpost along with companies C and F.

* * *

"Hey, Comrade Urchif, it's good to see you Here in the trenches with us!" laughed the ever familiar voice of Vladimir Gruin, as he punched me in the shoulder as I sat down to take a break to bandage up my leg.

"It's Good to see you made it, Vladimir!" I laughed as I used my knife to cut off the frozen blood of my leg and bandaged the exposed wound and then bandaged up my pants around the wounded area in order to keep in warm and as dry as possible. I looked up after completing my task and saw that the Private that was on Gate duty with Vladimir was there as well, "Well looks like you got your first taste of a real battle."

"Y-yeah, c-comrade Ur-Urch-Urchif," stuttered the boy as replied he to me, he was obviously suffering from shell shock. I don't blame him, at least he didn't have to deal with his first battle in the streets of his home town back on Valhalla.

"What's your name Private?" I asked.

"Z-Zakhar L-Lavrentiy, S-sir," he stuttered back at me as his shovel hit the dirt under the snow.

"It's alright boy, just take deep breathes and take a swig of this and it'll make every thing better," spoke Vladimir as he handed Private Lavrentiy his flask.

The boy took a a mouth full of the contents in the flask and then vomited on the spot, "Guuugh, What the warp is in there!?"

"Gasoline!" Laughed the 1.8 meter tall man, as he slapped the private on the back and took the flask back and took a swig and past it to me, which I in turn took a good mouthful of.

* * *

The trench we had been working on was now a good 3 meters under the snow drift, and the walls had been melted and the frozen into a solid chunk of ice to add stability to them. I was on watch with my sniper rifle my eyes alert for the slightest of Ork activity to the north. I love my rifle, it fired the standard bolter ammo used by the Space marines, normally I had to conserve ammo due to the fact that Bolter ammo was hard to come by in the Guard, only ones available most of the time is Heavy bolter and Bolt pistol ammo.

There.... I digress again..... damn my thought patterns....

BOOM!!

I turn to the south as I saw a huge plum of fire and smoke coming from the other side of the base and terror fills my heart as I hear what no man should have to hear once in his life, let alone 5 times like I have, the earth shaking "WAAGH!"


	3. Chapter 3

The air smelled of sulfur and blood as I ran to the opposite side of the base to help with the defense. As I ran up on to the ramparts of the defensive wall, I saw the horde in front of me and our entire armored division was nothing but slag. Any courage left in my heart faded away, now was a fight for survival until reiforcements came, if any.

"Comrade Urchif, it was a pleasure serving with you," stated Gruin as he and I both perched our weapons upon the wall, his plasma cannon glowing with holy might.

"It was a pleasure serving with you too, Vlad," I replied as I took aim looking for any Ork that looked important, and just down right nasty, but all there was just a indiscernible mass of green and red marching to kill us all.

* * *

The defenses held for the most part for three hours, the horde of orks and gretchen fell to the onslaught of our superior firepower, but the pile of bodies infront of the walls of the outpost started to rise and had made a ramp for the orks to climb up onto the ramparts in some places. I saw men get torn apart by axe and power-claw alike. We had been ordered to fire into the mob of men and orks locked into hand to hand combat, many of us wept as we did. This truly was hell and I prayed with all my might to the god Emperor to make this stop, and that the deamons of the warp would not appear in this lake of blood and steel.

Then as I impaled a gretchen through the neck with my machete, I heard a a thunder clap and a scream above head as a Space Marine Drop pod landed upon a mob of nobs that had just broken through the main gates. Those fighting around me, both man and ork, stopped as they stared in shock and awe at the monolith that had fell from the sky. Then the drop pod's main hatches exploded open and a team of Assault Marines from the Iron Fists Chapter of Space Marines charged out of the pod and into the orks. My eyes filled with tears of joy that my prayers were answered, "Oh thank the Emperor!" I yelled and started to fight with renewed vigor. None of us realized that every single one of us yelled those words exactly at the same time until after the battle. I slashed into a Slugga-boy's knee tendons with my machete, the xeno was brought to it's knees and I then entered the last three shots from my Auto-Bolt Pistol into it's hideous face. Then a rocket whistled over head, knocking off my Ushanka, and into a Mekboy right into the chest, which was fired from a Space Marine on top of the wall as the rest of his fire team climbed up over the ice.

The rest of the battle was blur, it ended with the retreat of the remnants of the Ork forces. All that was left us was 40 Guardsmen and 30 of the Space Marines, Gruin and I were amongst those still standing after the fight, we started looking among the corpses, killing any surviving xeno and tending to our comrades' wounds.

"Who's in command here?" asked a Space marine as he came up to Gruin and I. I looked around and only saw privates and one or two lance Corporals.

"We are," stated Gruin as he found our Commissars body underneath the fallen bulk of a mekboy. "Corporal Vladmir Gruin and Corporal Gregory Urchif, reporting sir." I nodded as I picked up a fallen comrade's Lasgun.

"I see, your men have fought well, your fellows will be recorded into the analogs of our chapter remembered as men who fought to the very end for my fallen brothers," said the Marine as he bowed his head in respect to us, "The remainder of your Regiment will be transported to Fort New Volgograd. Were your Superiors will decide the fate of your Regiment."

"Thank you, we will remember the valor and generosity of the Iron Fists as well," I said as Gruin and I bowed our heads in respect.

"Force Commander, The Orks are on the run we must hurry to route and annihilate the Waagh with the rest of D Company," stated an Assault Marine as he approached us.

The Space Marine Force Commander nodded in response, "There will be a 4 Rhinos APCs coming within the next 2 hours to help move you and your wounded, Now I must return back to my duties." He turned and Joined his fellow Space Marines as they left the base through the demolished Main Gates.

"Well that something you don't see every day," I sighed as a sat down on top of the Mekboy behind us which was still laying over our Regimental Commissar, who i never liked anyways.

"And what would that be Comrade Urchif?" asked Gruin.

"Some damn respect." We both laughed at the comment. After we had cleared the base of corpses and dug a trench for the bodies of the Orks to be burnt, the Rhinos the Space Marines had promised rolled up the main road to the gates of the outpost. We then spent loaded up our men into the hulls of the APCs and then rolled out, and that was the last I ever saw that blasted piece of ice.

* * *

**Hey sorry for not updating sooner, Life happened and got in the way from me posting more. Well Chapter 4 will hopefully be up within the month.**

**please R&R.**

**Peace out,  
War.  
**


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